Clarke Historical News and Notes of Central Michigan University announced the donation of over 600 pop up books to the Lucile Children's Book Library
The Lucile Clarke Children’s Library, a part of the Clarke Historical Library, has a distinguished collection of children’s books. That collection was recently enriched by the addition of over 600 pop-up books from the library of Dr. Francis Molson. The books were collected by Dr. Molson and his late wife, Mary Lois. The volumes offer a dazzling insight into what is one of the most colorful and entertaining corners of the printing industry. A few illustrations from the books we acquired accompany this post. - Frank Boles
What a marvelous gift from the Molson's. Pop up books are wondrous things. I could spend days looking at the new collection.
Frank Boles' article goes on to describe the origin of pop-up books and the first moveable books - made for priests to determine what day Easter would land on in a particular year. He explains how they were originally made for adults and that the Germans took it to new heights of engineering and design.
Boles describes how these "volvelles" went from being used as astronomical tables to anatomy "lift the flap" style books fo anatomy students, eventually being used in spy tech to decipher messages.
He ends the article discussing how long it took the student librarians to catalog all 600 books. Not just because of the quantity, but because they kept stopping to look inside and see what each book would do!
To illustrate the article, they chose their 8 favorite books out of the 600.
The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, paper engineered by Robert Sabuda
Asterix on the Warpath by authors René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, paper engineered by Jose Pons
Brava Sterega Nona! A Heartwarming Pop-Up Book by Tomie dePaola, engineered by Robert Sabuda
Hokusai Pop-Ups by Katsushika Hokusai, paper engineered by Courtney Watson McCarthy
The Jungle Book: A Pop-Up Adventure by Rudyard Kipling and Matthew Reinhart
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, paper engineered by Robert Sabuda
Snowflakes: A Pop Up Book by Jennifer Preston Chushcoff, paper engineered by Yevgeniya Yeretskaya
I am honored to have Snowflakes chosen from such a large collection and to be among these beautiful books.
I wish I would have been able to visit their Surprise and Wonder Pop Up Book exhibit. Pop ups have always held a special place in my heart. How about yours?
Stay well,
Jenn xo